Neighbors heard father's screams as Fitchburg fire turned fatal

FITCHBURG — A father's agonizing screams for his family, trapped inside their burning home at 53 East St., pierced the quiet neighborhood, drawing neighbors out of their houses.

“I heard him screaming for Christopher. Flames were coming from the front door, and black, black smoke was everywhere,” said Paulette Nadeau, who lives across the street from 53 East St., where a raging fire claimed the lives of two people late Sunday night.
A 22-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were killed when the two-alarm fire ripped through the single-family house, authorities said. Fire Chief Kevin D. Roy said firefighters found the two adults unconscious on the second floor after they had knocked down the intense fire on the first floor.
Authorities in Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.'s office Monday afternoon identified the victims as Lisa Englehart, 39, and Christopher Brinkley, 22. A third occupant of the house, Frank Huckins Sr., 65, was rushed to Health Alliance Leominster Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition Monday, according to authorities.
“The worst part of it all was the father screaming for his son,” said Mark Romano, who lives across the street, a couple of houses down. “It was awful.”
The state fire marshal's office is involved in the investigation. Officials said Monday morning that the cause of the fire appears to be accidental.
“Obviously, it's a tragedy,” Chief Roy said. He said the building had a lot of cellulose insulation, which kept the smoke and the heat inside, and large amounts of clothing and furniture. “Combustibles,” he said, also contributed to the dangerous conditions firefighters encountered.
“Two firefighters were very close to being caught in a flashover on the second floor,” Chief Roy said. One firefighter had made it inside one of the two bedrooms on the second floor, and another was climbing through the window.
Nine people were in the house at the time of the fire, according to officials. Most of the occupants were extended family. Two children and three adults on the first floor got out safely, the chief said. A mother and her 5- and 11-year-old sons who were on the first floor had to crawl through windows to escape the blaze. A neighbor helped the children out. Two occupants of the basement also got out safely.
Charles Huckins Jr. of Leominster owns the house, and said his brother, Frank Huckins Sr., previously owned it before he had trouble keeping up with the mortgage after his wife died a few years ago.
Charles Huckins said he purchased the house and rented it to his brother and family. He said his brother Frank lived there with his son, Frank Huckins Jr., his wife, Karen, their two boys, and Karen's 22-year-old son Christopher from a previous relationship. Charles Huckins said his nephew's sister was visiting.
“It's shocking,” Mr. Huckins said. He told a fire official at the scene that he was unaware there were two people living in the basement.
The chief said there was extremely heavy fire on the first floor and heavy smoke visible throughout the neighborhood when crews arrived.
“We did not find any evidence of working smoke detectors,” Chief Roy said.
He said the fire spread to the second floor before being knocked down. It also spread to the house next door at 55 East St. That house is just a couple of feet away. The house at 53 was a total loss, and the house at 55 sustained about $30,000 in damage, according to a fire official.
“It was rolling pretty good on the first floor,” said Deputy Fire Chief David Rosseau. He said the fire was challenging to fight because there were flames everywhere on the first floor when firefighters arrived, and debris and clutter everywhere.
“Christopher was the nicest young kid,” said neighbor Norman Garneau, who was standing with neighbors Mark and Kathleen Romano on their front porch Monday morning.
“I only went into that house once. Because of the clutter, I wouldn't go back,” Mr. Romano said.
Neighbors said the smoke was so heavy it set off smoke detectors in other houses along East Street.
“I was choking cause the smoke was so thick,” Mr. Romano said. Kathleen Romano said everything inside their home reeks of smoke. She said the Huckins family was a nice family, and the fire was tragic. “It was horrible,” she said.
Another neighbor, Josue Gonzalez, said his aunt smelled something burning around 11:30, and he went outside to see the house down the street pumping out smoke. He said he could not see the house because of all the smoke, but he heard Frank Huckins Jr.'s screams for help.
“The guy standing at the (front) stairs is trying to go back in,” Mr. Gonzalez said. “He was screaming at me to help him.”
Wearing shorts and sandals, the 18-year-old Mr. Gonzalez said he didn't go in the fire, which was spreading quickly, and told Frank Huckins Jr., who came out the front door with a blanket wrapped around him, that he could not go back in.
“I feel bad for the family,” Mr. Gonzalez said.
Residents of 53 East St. gathered at Mrs. Nadeau's house across the street. Neighbors and emergency personnel brought them blankets.
“I took in the two little boys. They were shivering. They had no socks on, no shoes,” Mrs. Nadeau said. “I couldn't get the youngest to stop shaking.”
The mother and her two children were taken to the hospital early Monday morning to be checked as a precaution, according to fire officials.
“Christopher was a loner. He played with his computer and walked his dog every day,” Mrs. Nadeau said. “He was a good kid.”
Mr. Brinkley's dog, Stripe, made it out of the fire, and was with friends Monday afternoon.
About 10 a.m. Monday, firefighters returned to the house because smoke was seen coming from a section of the burned-out building. The smoke was soon doused and plans were made to board up the building.
Gretchen Letteney also watched the fire unfold with neighbors. At one point, she said, somebody told the mother not to go in the house because it was going to explode.
“This is just so sad,” Ms. Letteney said.
@LindaBockTG
Steven H. Foskett Jr. of the Telegram & Gazette Staff contributed to this report

Two confirmed dead in overnight fire at 53 East St. in #Fitchburg. Fire officials investigating cause. pic.twitter.com/N2amqhaQOS